The present invention relates to a light-incorporated video camera wherein a video light for lighting is incorporated integrally in a compact video camera.
In conventional compact video cameras, a separate video light needs to be attached to the camera main for image taking in dark conditions.
The video light generally has a tungsten halogen lamp and a battery in a case body attached with a mounting arm by means of which the video light is mounted on the video camera main.
With a video camera having a separate video light, the video light must be attached and detached every time the video camera is used. Also, it is inconvenient to carry about the video camera of this type. Therefore, various designs have been proposed in an attempt to solve these problems. These designs, however, involve another problem that follows.
It is required for the video light input switch to have an operator-friendly constitution so that the switch can be turned on/off as easily as possible to allow the operator to turn on the video light as soon as dark conditions are encountered.
However, this easy turn-on/off constitution makes it possible, during transportation of the video camera in a carrying bag for example, to inadvertently turn on the video light because something in the carrying bag presses the video light input switch on.
If the video light input switch is thus turned on inadvertently, the video light is turned on in the carrying bag and kept on long in vain, thereby consuming the service lives of the video light lamp and battery more than expected.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a light-incorporated video camera wherein the video light is automatically turned off after the elapse of a predetermined time set by a timer to prevent the vain consumption of service lives of the video light lamp and battery from occurring.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light-incorporated video camera incorporating a video light integrally in a video camera, including: a video light input switch for instructing turn-on of the video light; and a timer; wherein the video light turned on by instruction from the video light input switch is automatically turned off after the elapse of a time set on the timer.
The above video camera preferably includes an illuminometer; wherein the video light is turned on only when it is determined that lighting is necessary, based on illuminance of an object measured by the illuminometer.
In the above video camera, if a switch key of the video camera is operated before the time set on the timer expires, the timer may be initialized to continue the turn-on state of the video light. The switch key may be a record/stop switch key of the video camera. The video light may be a tungsten halogen lamp and the timer may be a five-minute timer.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light-incorporated video camera incorporating a video light integrally in a video camera, including: a video light input switch for instructing turn-on of the video light; a video light control switch connected at both ends between the video light and the video light input switch; a timer; and a central processing unit for controlling the video light control switch based on input information coming from the video light input switch and information coming from the timer, wherein the central processing unit starts the timer when turn-on of the video light is instructed from the video light input switch, turns on the video light control switch to turn on the video light and, when a time set on the timer expires, turns off the video light control switch to turn off the video light.
The above video camera preferably includes an illuminometer; wherein the central processing unit starts the timer when turn-on of the video light is instructed from the video light input switch and it is determined that lighting is necessary based on illuminance of an object measured by the illuminometer and turns on the video light control switch to turn on the video light.
The above central processing unit may initialize the timer when a switch key of the video camera is operated before the time set on the timer expires to continue the on-state of the video light. Moreover, in the above video camera, the switch key may be a record/stop switch key of the video camera. The video light may be a tungsten halogen lamp and the timer may be a five-minute timer. The central processing unit may control a power supply block, a key block, and a display block of the video camera.
As described above, the light-incorporated video camera of the present invention is so configured as to eliminate the inconvenience of attaching and detaching a video light every time image taking is performed and to automatically turn off the incorporated video light after the elapse of a time set on the timer, and consequently, if the record/stop switch key is pressed by something in a carrying bag or the like to turn on the video light, the same is turned off automatically after the preset time, thereby preventing the vain consumption of service lives of the lamp and the battery from occurring.
Accordingly, the present invention makes it possible for the video light not to continuously be kept on unnecessarily, resulting in longer service lives of the video light and the battery.